Remarks by Grant Ashley, Assistant Director, Criminal Division
Press Conference at the Department of Justice Headquarters
| Washington, D.C. November 04, 2003 |
The actions today are the results of the partnerships with the United States Attorney, the Department of Justice, the Internal Revenue Service, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Postal Inspection Service.
This investigation was initiated in March of this year, and, as Chris mentioned, there have been 16 former HealthSouth executives charged, 14 of whom have pled guilty.
Despite the enormity and the complexity of this case, its swiftness and efficiency in addressing corporate fraud will serve as a model for all the other investigations.
I’m most appreciative of the efforts of the United States attorney, Alice Martin, and her staff, the leadership of the Department of Justice, and the tireless efforts of the employees of the FBI, the IRS, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Postal Inspection Service. Without them, this case would not have progressed as it did.
As an overview, the FBI currently has 139 open corporate fraud investigations, with at least 16 of those with individual losses exceeding $1 billion. We open approximately three to six new cases every month. And in these cases, 187 individuals have been charged with 92 convictions.
The FBI will dedicate all necessary resources to address criminality in the executive suites.
Thank you.